Such men as he be never at heart's ease,
While's they behold a greater than themselves;
And therefore are they very dangerous.
I rather tell thee what is to be fear'd,
Than what I fear; for always I am Cæfar.
Come on my right hand, for this ear is deaf,
And tell me truly what thou think'st of him.

[Exeunt CAESAR, and his train. CASCA ftays behind. Cafea. You pull'd me by the cloak; Would you fpeak with me?

Bru. Ay, Cafca; tell us what hath chanc'd to-day, That Cæfar looks fo fad.

Cafca. Why you were with him, were you not?

Bru. I fhould not then ask Cafca what hath chanc'd. Cafea. Why, there was a crown offer'd him and being offer'd him, he put it by with the back of his hand, thus; and then the people fell a' fhouting,

Bru. What was the fecond noise for?

Cafea. Why, for that too.

Caf. They fhouted thrice; What was the last cry for?
Cafca. Why, for that too.

Bru. Was the crown offer'd him thrice?

Cafca. Ay, marry, was't, and he put it by thrice, every time gentler than other; and at every putting by, mine honest neighbours fhouted.

Čaf. Who offer'd him the crown?

Cafca. Why, Antony.

Bru. Tell us the manner of it, gentle Cafca.

Cafea. I can as well be hang'd, as tell the manner of it: it was mere foolery, I did not mark it. I faw Mark Antony offer him a crown;-yet 'twas not a crown neither, 'twas one of these coronets;-and, as I told you, he put it by once: but, for all that, to my thinking, he would fain have had it. Then he offer'd it to him again; then he put it by again: but, to my thinking, he was very loath to lay his fingers off it. And then he offer'd it the third time; he put it the third time by and ftill as he refus'd it, the rabblement hooted, and clapp'd their chopp'd hands, and threw up their fweaty night-caps, and utter'd fuch a deal of ftinking breath becaufe Cæfar refufed the crown, that it had almost choked Cæfar;

for

for he fwoon'd, and fell down at it: And for mine own part, I durft not laugh, for fear of opening my lips, and receiving the bad air.

Caf. But, foft, I pray you: What? did Cæfar fwoon? Cafca. He fell down in the market-place, and foam'd at mouth, and was fpeechlefs.

Bru. "Tis very like; he hath the falling-fickness.
Caf. No, Cæfar hath it not; but you, and I,

And honeft Cafca, we have the falling-fickness.

Cafca. I know not what you mean by that; but, I am fure, Cæfar fell down. If the tag-rag people did not clap him, and hifs him, according as he pleafed, and displeased them, as they used to do the players in the theatre, I am no

true man.

8

Bru. What faid he, when he came unto himfelf?

Cafca. Marry, before he fell down, when he perceiv'd the common herd was glad he refufed the crown, he pluck'd me ope his doublet, and offer'd them his throat to cut.-An I had been a man of any occupation, if I would not have taken him at a word, I would I might go to hell among the rogues-and fo he fell. When he came to himself again, he faid, If he had done, or faid, any thing amifs, he defired their worships to think it was his infirmity. Three or four wenches, where I ftood, cried, Alas, good foul!-and forgave him with all their hearts: But there's no heed to be taken of them; if Cæfar had stabb'd their mothers, they would have done no lefs.

Bru. And after that, he came, thus fad, away?
Cafca. Ay.

Caf. Did Cicero fay any thing?

Cafca. Ay, he spoke Greek.

Caf. To what effect?

Cafca. Nay, an I tell you that, I'll ne'er look you i' the face again: But thofe, that understood him, fmiled at one another and shook their heads: but, for mine own part, it was Greek to me. I could tell you more news too: Marullus and Flavius, for pulling scarfs off Cæfar's images, are put to filence.

8 No honeft man. MALONE.

9 Had I been a mechanick, one of the Plebeians to whom he offer'd his throat. JOHNSON.

filence. Fare you well. There was more foolery yet, if I could remember it.

Caf. Will you fup with me to-night, Casca?

Cafca. No, I am promifed forth.

Caf. Will you dine with me to-morrow?

Cajca, Ay, if I be alive, and your mind hold, and your

dinner worth the eating.

Cof. Good; I will expect you.

Cafea. Do fo: Farewell, both.

[Exit CASCA.

Bru. What a blunt fellow is this grown to be?

He was quick mettle, when he went to school.
Caf. So he is now, in execution

Of any bold or noble enterprize.
However he puts on this tardy form.
This rudeness is a fauce to his good wit,
Which gives men ftomach to digeft his words
With better appetite.

Bru. And fo it is. For this time I will leave you;
To-morrow, if you pleafe to speak with me,
I will come home to you; or, if you will,
Come home to me, and I will wait for you.
Caf. I will do fo,-till then, think of the world.

[Exit BRUTUS,

Well, Brutus, thou art noble; yet, I fee,
Thy honourable metal may be wrought
From that it is difpos'd: Therefore 'tis meet
That noble minds keep ever with their likes:
For who fo firm, that cannot be seduc'd ?
Cæfar doth bear me hard;3 but he loves Brutus:
If I were Brutus now, and he were Caffius,
He should not humour me.4 I will this night,

In

2 The best metal or temper may be worked into qualities contrary to its original conftitution. JOHNSON.

From that it is dispos'd, i. e. dispos'd to. MALONE. 3 i. e. has an unfavourable opinion of me.

STEEVENS.

4 This is a reflection on Brutus's ingratitude; which concludes, as is ufual on fuch occafions, in an encomium on his own better conditions. If I were Brutus (fays he) and Brutus, Caffius, be should not cajole me as I do bim. To humour fignifies here to turn and wind him, by inflaming his paffions. WARBURTON,

The

In feveral hands, in at his windows throw,
As if they came from several citizens,
Writings, all tending to the great opinion
That Rome holds of his name; wherein obfcurely
Cæfar's ambition fhall be glanced at :

And, after this, let Cæfar feat him fure;
For we will shake him or worse days endure.

SCENE III.

The fame. A Street.

[Exit.

Thunder and lightning. Enter, from oppofite fides, CASCA, with his fword drawn, and CICERO.

Cic. Good even, Cafca: Brought you Cæfar home?! Why are you breathlefs? and why ftare you fo?

Cafea. Are not you mov'd, when all the fway of earth Shakes, like a thing unfirm? O Cicero,

I have feen tempets, when the fcolding winds
Have riv'd the knotty oaks; and I have feen
The ambitious ocean fwell, and rage, and foam,
To be exalted with the threat'ning clouds:
But never till to-night, never till now,
Did I go through a tempeft dropping fire.
Either there is a civil ftrife in heaven;
Or elfe the world, too faucy with the gods,
Incenses them to fend deftruction.

Cic. Why, faw you any thing more wonderful?
Cafea. A common flave (you know him well by fight,)
Held up his left hand, which did flame, and burn
Like twenty torches join'd; and yet his hand,
Not fenfible of fire, remain'd unfcorch'd,
Befides, (I have not fince put up my fword,)

Against the Capitol I met a lion,

Who

The meaning, I think, is this: Cæfar loves Brutus, but if Brutus and I were to change places, his love fhould not bumour me, should not take hold of my affection, fo as to make me forget my principles. JOHNSON. 5 Did you attend Cæfar home? JOHNSON.

The whole weight or momentum of this globe. JOHNSON.

Who glar'd upon me, and went furly by,
Without annoying me: And there were drawn
Upon a heap a hundred ghaftly women,

Transformed with their fear; who swore, they faw
Men, all in fire, walk up and down the streets.
And, yesterday, the bird of night did fit,
Even at noon-day, upon the market-place,
Hooting, and fhrieking. When these prodigies
Do fo conjointly meet, let not men say,
Thefe are their reafons,They are natural;
For, I believe, they are portentous things
Unto the climate that they point upon.

Cic. Indeed, it is a strange-difpofed time:
But men may conftrue things after their fashion,
Clean from the purpose of the things themselves.
Comes Cæfar to the Capitol to-morrow?

Cafca. He doth; for he did bid Antonius
Send word to you, he would be there to-morrow.
Cic. Good night then, Casca: this disturbed sky
Is not to walk in.

Caf.

Cafca, by your voice,

Cafca. Your ear is good. Caffius, what night is this?
Caf. A very pleafing night to honest men.

Cafea. Who ever knew the heavens menace so?

Caf. Thofe, that have known the earth fo full of faults. For my part, I have walk'd about the streets,

Submitting me unto the perilous night;

7 The first [and second] edition reads :

Who glaz'd upon me,·

Perhaps, Who gaz'd upon me. JOHNSON.

And,

Glar'd is certainly right. To gaze is only to look ftedfaftly, or with admiration. Glar'd has a fingular propriety, as it expreffes the furious fcintillation of a lion's eyes: and, that a lion thould appear full of fury, and yet attempt no violence, augments the prodigy. STEEVENS. Clean is altogether, entirely. MALONE.